Mucong Zi

Sep. 2013 - Jan. 2019, Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, China

Sep. 2009 - Jun. 2013, Bachelor in Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University, China

Dec. 2021 - present, Assistant Professor, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, China

Jun. 2019 - May. 2021, Postdoc, Colorado School of Mines, USA

Reviewer for Chemical Engineering Journal, Fuel, Langmuir, and Energy & Fuels

Research directions involved in the gas hydrate science and technology, and flow assurance of submarine oil and gas pipeline. By applying molecular dynamic simulation, and multi-scale hydrate experiments for hydrate dynamics, morphology and rheology, the nucleation, growth, aggregation and distribution of gas hydrate in oil-water system were investigated at the macro & micro levels. Aiming at the complex transportation environment of submarine oil and gas pipeline based on gas hydrate, the interactions and synergistic plugging mechanism were investigated among the multiple plugging factors including hydrate, asphaltene, paraffin; and the efficient and eco-friendly low-dose hydrate inhibitors were developed and studied. Besides, other research interests and future research directions were mainly in the field of energy and environment, containing the gas storage and transportation (natural gas and hydrogen), hydrate resource exploitation (carbon dioxide replacement method), and sewage treatment (hydrate method), etc.

1. Shenzhen City Industry Public Technology Service Platform Fund Project: Public Technical Service Platform for Hydrate Resource Development in South China Sea (Project Budget: ¥ 5000000, Completed)

   Own Contributions: Main participants of the project, for platform construction, equipment procurement and laboratory construction

2. Shenzhen Science and Technology Planning Project: Study on Co-aggregation Mechanism and Inhibition Technology of Asphaltene and Hydrate in Oil and Gas Transportation (Project Budget: ¥ 300000, Completed)

   Own Contributions: Main participants of the project, for molecular dynamics simulations and experimental study on asphaltene-hydrate system

3. Project of TOTAL.US: Wax Characterization under Flowing Conditions (Project Budget: $ 165000, Completed)

   Own Contributions: Main participants of the project, for development and improvement of an innovative benchtop testing tool, to experimentally investigate thermodynamic and kinetic properties during wax deposition process

1. Zi M, Zhang X, Mahir L, et al. Wax Deposition Characterization under Flowing Conditions Using an Oscillatory Flow Setup[J]. Energy & Fuels, 2021, 35(22): 18495-18503.

2. Zi M, Wu G, Wang J, et al. Investigation of gas hydrate formation and inhibition in oil-water system containing model asphaltene[J]. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2021, 412: 128452.

3. Zi M, Chen D, Wang J, et al. Kinetic and rheological study of methane hydrate formation in water-in-oil emulsion: Effects of emulsion composition and silica sands[J]. Fuel, 2019, 255: 115708.

4. Zi M, Chen D, Wu G. Molecular dynamics simulation of methane hydrate formation on metal surface with oil[J]. Chemical Engineering Science, 2018, 191: 253-261.

5. Zi M, Wu G, Li L, et al. Molecular dynamics simulations of methane hydrate formation in model water-in-oil emulsion containing asphaltenes[J]. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2018, 122(41): 23299-23306.

6. Zi M, Chen D, Ji H, et al. Effects of asphaltenes on the formation and decomposition of methane hydrate: a molecular dynamics study[J]. Energy & Fuels, 2016, 30(7): 5643-5650.

7. Hu P, Wu G, Zi M, et al. Effects of modified metal surface on the formation of methane hydrate[J]. Fuel, 2019, 255: 115720.

8. Hu P, Chen D, Zi M, et al. Effects of carbon steel corrosion on the methane hydrate formation and dissociation[J]. Fuel, 2018, 230: 126-133.

9. Ji H, Wu G, Zi M, et al. Microsecond molecular dynamics simulation of methane hydrate formation in humic-acid-amended sodium montmorillonite[J]. Energy & Fuels, 2016, 30(9): 7206-7213

First-Class Scholarship’ of Tsinghua University (2018)